Authorship and Contributorship

MATAN: Journal of Islam and Muslim Society is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and accountability of scholarly publishing. Authorship must reflect genuine intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript. MATAN follows recognized publication ethics principles, including the recommendations and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Authorship Criteria

An individual may be listed as an author only if they meet all of the following criteria:

a. They have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the research, the acquisition of data, or the analysis and interpretation of research findings.

b. They have drafted the manuscript or critically revised it for important intellectual content.

c. They have approved the final version of the manuscript for publication.

d. They agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work and to help ensure that questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of any part of the research are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All individuals listed as authors must meet these criteria. Those who have made substantial contributions but do not meet all authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately, with their permission.

2. Contributions That Do Not Qualify for Authorship

Contributions that do not meet the authorship criteria should not, by themselves, justify authorship. Such contributions may be recognized in the Acknowledgments section, with the individuals’ consent. Examples include:

a. Technical, administrative, or routine assistance that does not involve substantial intellectual contributions.

b. Providing funding, facilities, equipment, research materials, or access to research sites without making a qualifying intellectual contribution.

c. Holding an institutional, academic, or organizational position without making a substantive contribution to the research or manuscript.

d. General supervision, language editing, or proofreading without substantial intellectual involvement in the work.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that acknowledgments accurately reflect the contributions made and that the individuals concerned have agreed to be acknowledged.

3. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

MATAN does not tolerate unethical authorship practices, including:

a. Ghost authorship: omitting individuals who have made qualifying contributions and should be listed as authors.

b. Gift or guest authorship: listing individuals who have not made qualifying contributions to the research or manuscript.

c. Honorary authorship: granting authorship based solely on seniority, position, institutional affiliation, or personal relationships.

d. Sale or exchange of authorship: offering, purchasing, or exchanging authorship positions without legitimate scholarly contributions.

e. Misrepresentation of contributions: providing false or misleading information about the roles and contributions of authors.

Suspected authorship violations will be assessed in accordance with MATAN’s publication ethics procedures.

4. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between the authors and the journal. The corresponding author must provide an active email address and is responsible for:

a. Submitting the manuscript through the journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform in accordance with the Author Guidelines.

b. Communicating with the editorial office throughout the submission, peer-review, revision, and publication processes, and after publication when necessary.

c. Ensuring that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria, agree to the author order, and approve the final manuscript.

d. Ensuring that all co-authors are informed of the submission and agree to submit the manuscript to MATAN.

e. Providing accurate information about authorship, affiliations, funding, conflicts of interest, research ethics, and other required declarations.

f. Coordinating responses to editorial queries and ensuring that all authors are informed of significant decisions or revisions.

The corresponding author’s responsibilities do not remove the individual accountability of the other authors.

5. Author Contribution Statement

MATAN encourages transparent reporting of individual contributions. Where applicable or requested by the editors, authors should provide an Author Contribution Statement describing each author's role in the research and preparation of the manuscript.

Contributions may be described using the following categories:

• A – Research conception and design

• B – Data collection and/or assembly

• C – Data analysis and interpretation

• D – Drafting the manuscript

• E – Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

• F – Software or methodological support

• G – Final approval of the manuscript

Authors should use only the categories that accurately reflect their actual contributions. The contribution statement must not be used to justify authorship for individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria.

6. Changes to the List or Order of Authors

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after manuscript submission must be justified and submitted in writing to the editorial office by the corresponding author. Such requests must:

a. Explain the reasons for the proposed change.

b. Include written confirmation that all authors agree to the change, including the author being added or removed.

c. Include an updated Author Contribution Statement, where applicable.

d. Be submitted before the manuscript is accepted for publication, except where exceptional circumstances justify consideration at a later stage.

MATAN reserves the right to suspend editorial processing or publication while a proposed change is being reviewed. Changes will be made only after the editorial office is satisfied that the request is legitimate and that all relevant authors have provided their consent.

7. Authorship Disputes

Any dispute concerning authorship, author order, or individual contributions should first be addressed by the authors and their affiliated institutions, where appropriate. MATAN may request written explanations, supporting documentation, or clarification from the relevant authors or institutions.

The journal will handle authorship disputes in accordance with its publication ethics procedures and relevant COPE guidance. Where a dispute cannot be resolved adequately, MATAN may suspend editorial processing or take other appropriate action until the matter has been clarified. For articles already published, the journal may issue a correction or take further action when warranted by the findings of the investigation.

8. Use of AI-Based Tools

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI systems and large language models, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and ethical implications of published work.

Authors who use AI tools in ways that materially contribute to the preparation or substantive content of a manuscript must disclose such use transparently in accordance with MATAN’s AI Policy. The disclosure should identify the tool and explain its purpose and scope of use, including the model or version and date of use where relevant and available.

Authors remain fully responsible for verifying all AI-assisted content, including factual claims, references, quotations, translations, data interpretation, and scholarly arguments. AI-generated material must not be presented as verified evidence or as an authentic source without independent verification.

The use of AI tools does not qualify as authorship and does not diminish the accountability of the human authors. Any concerns regarding undisclosed or inappropriate AI use will be handled in accordance with MATAN’s AI Policy and publication ethics procedures.